The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-17
LONDON BANK TELLERS.
Wonderful Skill in Handling and CountiD z
Coins of All Denominati


New York Tribune
A London bank teller always experiences a
feeling of relief when he finds his money correct
at the close of Fridays work. and this feeling
is usually shared by the rest of the staff, who
not leave the bank until he either discovers
his satisfies himself to the actual
shortage. The great bulk of the shortages made
across bank counters in England are believed to
occur that day. Whether or not there is any
truth in the superstition concerning Friday be-
ing unlucky day for the teller, or whether the
errors are caused by the carelessness which is
always more or less the result of a slack day 10
open question. The beliefs simply recorded
as an acknowledged and experienced fact
Next in the order of bad days for the teller, or
cashier as ne is designated in London.
Saturday, but there the bad luck is intellRibe.
Saturday is wages day. and sooner has the
reier filled his till and loaded his shelves with
silver in f5 and f10 bags than the days work
sets in like a food. Until II O'CLOCK he is paying
a receiving clerk WE'LL he begins to receive
heavily. for Saturday is also the last day of the
week and every one elects that the bank
should receive his deposits rather than that he
should keep them in his own less secure custody
over Sunday.
In beginning work on Saturday the London
the portion controlled by hisSdesk is probably
six feet long by three feet wide. He likes to
have @ good square view of his customer. and it
is one of the canons of British banking that the
eyes of the staff shall command the counter
There is this to be said in defense of the SYSTEM
it requires considerably more hardIhood to per-
bank than it does at q pigeon hole in a fenced-in
counter. and IN addition vseil-trained bank staff
accustomed to each others ways by long
tact and familiar we'll with the customers of the
establishment. are often aole to render valuable
aid to the teller. and the bank for that matter,
in a variety OF WAYS
With such an open counter the chief clerk is
also able to keep the whole field under his eye at
one time, and to relieve the overstraln at any
particular desk. The effect of the exposed con-
dition is beneficial too. the staff, the mem
bers of which preserve a steadier demeanor and
attend more closely to business while thus
der the eyes of the public. But such an exposed
situation demands a steady nerve on the part of
the teller, who will sometimes have many
a score of customers waiting at one time He
need, however. only observe the golden rule in
order to insure correctness: mo hurry, and fin
ish transaction before you begin another"
His great temptation will be to endeavor to get
rid of the press OF people by cashing the checks
demanding coin without nter1ne them in his
money book at the moment, leaving that for the
first lull in the days business. In doing this he
Is deprivlng himself OF almost the only SAFE
guard against loss
The London teller is probably the quickest
manipulation of coin in the world. This is large
~ owing to the fact that the smallest note
issued IN London is of the value of f5, or $50.
When asked for gold In a greater amount than
his eye can count at a glance the teller. after
counting 1t quickly with q pianO-forte action.
throws it with his copper SCOOP into his faithful
scales, and checks his count The weights of
these scales are arranged in suitable numbers.
The teller also checks the gold which he receives
by weight, and here his knowledge of his business
will be tested One hundred ne W sovereigns are of
full weight rather more, in fact. but the same
number taken at haphazard will. be found to be
nearly half sovereign Tor per cent short in
weight. while 100 pounds in ordinary half
sovereigus are sometimes twenty shilling Tor
per cent. short in value. The teller can quickly
satisfy himself as to whether the deficiency is
caused by shortage in the weight or count. by
dividing the amount and weighing moiety
against the other. If they balance evenly, the
count is correct and the difference is due to
underweight; If the latter exceeds the average
stated the coin will need to be specially
amined: there is probably something wrong.
This question of light gold is an important one
One large London joint stock bank paid to the
Bank of England G30, 600 $3.50, 000) for deficient
weight in its gold for one year. A practical tel
Ter knows heavy or full weight by sight The
the strings of the Irish harp the of
the coin. If they frayed the coin is under
weight, but If untouched by wear and tear it is
full weight
The edge of the English bank is provided with
a lip to prevent the coin from rolling over and to
aid the teller In scooplng up the money. The
teller usually counts with the first two fingers of
both hands. simultaneously: sometimes he uses
six fingers and a teller has been known to count
450 sovereigns in one minute working against
time An expert teller will count one hundred
pounds value of silver in seven minutes. When
it is rememb ered that the coins are always mixed
and consist of sixpences. shillngs, forms.
half-crowns and crowns with new
decimal convenience among them,
this will reasonably be considered a remarka-
BILE feat. There is no selection of coins possible
in such count We're that observed the count
would take fully thirty minutes. The four fin
of the teller seize all the coins they come.
and if their action is bewilderingly quick what
must be that of the eye and brain which so
promptly assess and add up those disjointed
values so as to keep pace with the mechanical
action of the hands? An all the time an outlook
is kept for base coin, OF which such expert
will sometimes throw out fully half dozen in
counting hundred pounds